"Grand Ring Hotel, Beldibi – in our experience, definitely not a 5-star resort
During our stay in Turkey, my husband and I had an experience that we had never encountered before. This was our fourth time visiting Turkey, but based on our experience, this hotel did not meet the standards we would expect from a five-star resort.
Already on our first night, we complained about the mattress. It was badly worn out and had a huge depression in the middle, which made sleeping very uncomfortable. The double bed was also only approximately 160 cm wide. I am very slim and my husband is of average build, yet we still had difficulty sleeping comfortably in such a narrow bed. This was the first time we had encountered such a narrow double bed in a hotel in Turkey.
Another problem was the position of the air conditioning unit. Throughout the night, cold air was blowing directly onto our faces or necks. The following day, we therefore asked to change rooms. However, the staff refused, telling us that all rooms in the hotel were arranged in such a way that the air conditioning blows towards the bed during sleep. The only thing they did to help us was replace the badly worn mattress with a newer one.
However, the worst part of our stay came on the fourth day.
I developed very severe bloody diarrhea and started vomiting green fluid. I had diarrhea approximately 20 times during the night. In the morning, I went to an emergency department in Kemer, where I was given an IV infusion and prescribed antibiotics, probiotics, and medication for cramps and vomiting.
Unfortunately, my condition did not improve. During the following day, I again had approximately 20 episodes of bloody diarrhea. That evening, I contacted the hotel doctor. He told us that my condition could no longer be managed at the hotel and that I needed to go to hospital. He arranged an ambulance to a private hospital in Antalya.
I was hospitalized from 8 September to 11 September 2026. Medical examinations confirmed that I had salmonellosis as well as amoebic dysentery. During my hospitalization, I received IV treatment and medication, including two antibiotics.
While in hospital, I met several Slovak, Czech and Polish tourists who were also hospitalized there. When I asked why there were apparently very few Turkish patients, I was told that Turkish citizens generally use public hospitals because they are less expensive for them.
During our hospitalization, representatives of the Turkish Ministry of Health came to speak with us and asked us to complete detailed questionnaires. They asked what we had eaten and drunk at the hotel, whether we had used ice in our drinks, whether we had used the swimming pool or spa facilities, and about other aspects of our stay. From the number of completed questionnaires I saw, it appeared that similar information was being collected from a considerable number of hospitalized guests.
From our perspective, food consumed at the hotel is one possible source of the infection, and we particularly suspect the scrambled eggs we ate for breakfast around 6–7 September 2026. However, I cannot state as a fact that this particular food was the source of the infection.
I was discharged from hospital on 11 September and returned to the hotel, where I had to spend approximately another two and a half days until our flight home. I had to follow a strict diet and was unable to use the swimming pool, spa or other hotel facilities. I was also advised not to spend time in the sun.
For me, this was therefore definitely not a holiday, but an extremely unpleasant and physically and emotionally exhausting experience.
Unfortunately, I did not fully recover after returning home. After completing the antibiotic treatment, I was still weakened and became ill again shortly after returning. More than a week after coming home, I still do not feel well and need to seek medical attention.
We have submitted a formal complaint to our travel agency in Slovakia and are currently waiting for their response regarding possible compensation. I have also informed the relevant Turkish authorities about our experience.
Based on our experience, I cannot recommend this hotel at this time. In our opinion, the room standards, the way our complaints were handled, and, above all, the overall experience during our stay were far below what we would expect from a five-star resort."
